Western Australia (WA)

Volunteer tips and support, opens in a new tab, Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport, (accessed 29 July 2025). Put in place a simple plan and support structure to create a volunteer friendly environment. Resources include:

• Volunteer Management Guide: A guide to better recruiting, retaining and managing volunteers within sport and recreation organisations, opens in a new tab, WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, (November 2019). This guide has been developed to improve the recruitment, retention and management of volunteers in volunteer-run State Sporting Associations. The guide is also relevant to sport and recreation clubs. The guide assumes that organisations accessing the information do not have internal human resource or volunteer coordination expertise and support. The guide provides practical advice that will support the development and implementation of policies and procedures for effective volunteer management.
• Grassroots The secret life of sport and recreation, opens in a new tab, Department of Sport and Recreation, Western Australia, (May 2017). In this book you’ll meet more than 40 Western Australians who reveal why they continue to be involved in sport and recreation and what keeps them coming back every game, every week and every season. Conceived and created by Western Australia’s Department of Sport and Recreation, this book advocates for the power of sport to enrich and change lives. It shows no matter your age, ability or background, everyone can contribute to our sporting system. Through inspiring stories and photos it invites you to become part of the sport and recreation family – and be active while doing it.
• Position statement on volunteers, opens in a new tab, WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, (endorsed February 2015). The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries recognises that sport and recreation volunteers are the backbone of the industry and an enormous source of social capital. Organisations must support and recognise volunteers so they feel valued and are able to fulfill the position they have been given.

Volunteering WA, opens in a new tab makes a difference by connecting thousands of volunteers to many community organisations. We aim to build strong communities through volunteering and provide a range of resources, services and support so that people in Western Australia are aware of, and understand, the nature and scope of volunteer activity.

• Grants and funding programs, opens in a new tab, (accessed 9 November 2023). There are several opportunities throughout the year to apply for grants or scholarships and we encourage you to check our website regularly or subscribe to our monthly sector newsletter.
• Volunteer benefits calculator, opens in a new tab, (accessed 31 May 2023). The replacement cost of a volunteer is calculated using the average hourly part-time wage of a person of their age in their State of residence, plus 15% employer on-costs (inclusive of superannuation, payroll tax and administration expenses)
• The social and economic sustainability of WA’s rural volunteer workforce, opens in a new tab, Holmes K, Davies A, Lockstone-Binney L, et.al., Research Report No. 22/19, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, (Feburary 2019). Our study identified how rural communities in WA are addressing the challenges of recruiting and retaining volunteers. We identified the critical role of volunteering in creating a sense of community wellbeing and delivering essential services in rural areas. We also present the strategies volunteers and voluntary organisations are using to sustain the rural volunteer workforce. The two areas that had the most number of volunteer groups were sport (35) and emergency services (32).
• Policies and procedures handbook, opens in a new tab, Volunteering WA, (2019). A sample Policies and Procedures handbook, which can be used as a basis for developing detailed procedures for Not-for-Profit organisations.
• The Economic, Social, and Cultural Value of Volunteering to Western Australia, opens in a new tab, Institute of Project Management for Volunteering WA, (May 2015). The socio-economic and cultural value of volunteering to Western Australia in 2015 is conservatively estimated to be $39.0 billion. This figure is much greater than previous estimates based on price or economic impact alone, yet is likely to be a significant underestimate given the limitations of the available data and analytic techniques.